Degree Progress Planning

SJSU encourages students to complete their graduate degrees within three years. There is no requirement to do so, however, these tips can help MLIS and MARA students plan to complete the program within three years.

Do not repeat courses. Avoid overloading, only to drop classes late in the semester. This wastes time and money. Repeating courses to meet requirements or raise your GPA slows you down. Keeping current in all your assignments and readings and attending to discussions will help you stay off academic probation and on progress.

Don’t wait until the end of your program to plan your core courses and electives, which should blend the School’s competency requirements with your career pathway goals. You want to avoid having to take extra classes at the end of your program to fulfill a competency. Early on, take a close look at competencies mapped to classes and consider how work projects, volunteer assignments and internships can help you fulfill competency requirements. There are many tools and resources available on the iSchool Advising site in Canvas that can help you, in consultation with your advisor, create a focused plan to complete your degree.

Can I graduate within 3 years? Yes you can!

If you take 2 to 3 classes a semester, you can obtain your degree within 2 to 3 years. Read on for more details on course load.

Filling out this optional form at the beginning of your first semester benefits you and the iSchool:

Helps the iSchool anticipate future enrollment demands

Helps you create a plan that would allow you to graduate within three years

Note this unit-planning tool is not an official contract. It is not to be confused with your Candidacy Form – an official SJSU form which notifies the Graduate Admissions and Program Evaluation office of your degree progress when you are ready to advance to graduation status.

The unit-planning tool allows you to input various scenarios of “units per semester” and the calculator will display a running total as you progress through the tool. Resubmit the form whenever you would like, as you progress through the program.

Are you planning to complete your degree in more than three years?

No problem. Enter any comments about your particular unit plan in the comments field that you would like to share with the iSchool Student Services staff. This information will help us anticipate demand for course scheduling.

Working full or part time while raising a family? Yes, you can graduate within three years!

Use this tool to create a plan for iSchool graduation within three years. Students are not required to finish in three years but the university feels it is in the best interest of students to complete the degree within this interval.

Student Name: *

Email: *

Confirm Email: *

Student ID from MySJSU: *

Degree Program: *

MLIS

MARA

Session: *

Regular Session

Special Session

Open Class Units Earned/Transfer Credits: *

Semester Entered SJSU: *

Year 1

Enter units planned for each of the semesters as whole numbers only. If no units planned for a semester, leave default value [zero] unchanged.

First Semester In Program: *

Second Semester In Program: *

Third Semester In Program: *

Year 2

Enter units planned for each of the semesters as whole numbers only. If no units planned for a semester, leave default value [zero] unchanged.

Fourth Semester In Program: *

Fifth Semester In Program: *

Sixth Semester In Program: *

Year 3

Enter units planned for each of the semesters as whole numbers only. If no units planned for a semester, leave default value [zero] unchanged.

Seventh Semester In Program: *

Ninth Semester In Program: *

Eighth Semester In Program: *

Total Units: *

This field shows the sum of planned and open/transfer units. Currently 43 units are required to graduate with MLIS (42 units for MARA). Students are not required to graduate in 3 years but can do so with judicious planning.

Comments:

Are you planning to complete your degree in more than three years? Enter any comments you would like the Student Services staff to know about your unit plan.

Please type the numbers into the box below: *28791334608153 »

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